Stupid Crazy Life
by AkJackson
Summary: Annabeth returns to New York after 2 yrs. Her best friend Percy Jackson just broke up with Rachel and starts to realise his feelings for her.Only,Luke also confesses his feelings for Annabeth.What will she do?Read to find out.T just in case.R&R.UP FOR ADOPTION!
1. Back in the City

**A/N: So, I've started a new story. summary: Annabeth returns to New York after two years in San Francisco. Percy, her best friend has just broken up with Rachel and starts to realize his feelings for Annabeth. Only, Luke thinks he loves Annabeth, too (in the later chapters). So what does Annabeth do? Read more to find out. And.. REVIEW!**

**Disclaimer: I don't own PJO or HOO.. Rick Riordan does.. and he won't give it to me..yet.**

I looked around the New York airport, searching for anyone I recognised. I was nervous. I was gonna meet my mother, Athena, after 2 years and would be staying with her..and I was nervous. But that was how it had always been. She was always busy with work(she owned a large chain of bookstores and schools all over the country), was rich, famous, and could almost never make time for me. It had been the same for with my dad. It was why my parents had divorced when I was five.

_Flashback_

"I have to focus on my career!" Athena screamed.

"At the cost of forgetting your family?" Frederick yelled back.

They had these arguments daily. Athena would always go on trips and was never around for dad or me. One day it was just too much and Frederick had decided to leave. With me. Athena protested but gave in. They had a divorce and I went to live with dad. A couple of years later he remarried and his wife, although not too close to me, helped me get through life the way a mother would.

_End of flashback_

We'd moved to San Francisco a couple of years ago, when dad had got a job he really wanted. Now, I'd come to New York because he would be going on this world tour for Aviation Mechanisms(the company he worked for) with his family for a year. I could not go since I had high school, so as a last resort I had come to New York. I'd stay with my mother and go to school.

Anyway, at the airport, I was expecting a chauffeur to pick me up but imagine my surprise when someone else turned up and gave me a big hug. I was about to karate chop the person into bits until I noticed who it was.

"Thalia!" I exclaimed. "You didn't tell me you were gonna come!"

"I wanted to give you a surprise," she explained. "After all I am your best friend!" I smiled at that. We've been best friends ever since we met as kids. We even went to the same camp.

Guess, I didn't tell you about the camp. Well, basically, it was just a summer camp, "Camp Half-Blood", where we learned seriously cool Greek stuff, like swordfighting, horseriding, mythology and even the language. Thalia and I had been going since we were both eight.

"Come on!" Thalia said, steering me towards a car, "Let's go to my house!"

"Um, actually, Thalia," I faltered because I _really _wanted to go with her, "I have to go to my mom's house."

It seemed like she'd expected it. "Well, you can come later, right?" She asked.

"If Zeus doesn't mind," I teased. Her dad, Zeus, owned a big airplane company or something.

She rolled her eyes, "You know he doesn't care. At least let me give you a ride." I frowned. My mother had probably sent someone for me. "I've already talked to your mother," she added, seeing my expression.

"Sure," I agreed as I followed her towards her car, a Mercedes. 'Since when do you drive?" I demanded wistfully.

"I'm a little older than you, Annabeth," she reminded me. I still had 3 months to go for my sixteenth birthday. Thalia had turned sixteen last month.

"I know," I said, "let's go."

_Page Break_

Thalia and I were neighbors. We lived in this colony where everyone's parents had been named after a Greek god. They were all successful in their god counterparts' fields. It was kinda weird but once you get used to it, it seems pretty normal.

Coming to my mother's house, I was surprised to find her at home. She was just heading out for another of her business meetings.

When I arrived, she glared at me as if she'd been waiting. "What took so long?" she asked. "Traffic," I explained.

"I don't understand _why _you couldn't have come by my private jet," she muttered. "Its free for the evening and is much less troublesome." _Well, maybe I like to be normal sometimes_, I thought to myself. Aloud, I said nothing.

"Well, the butler's got the 3rd floor prepared for you. You can go unpack," she added before heading out. "Nice to see you,too," I muttered under my breath.

Did I mention how _enormous _the house was? It was elegant, too, but not really according to my taste.

The butler, Harry, led me to my room, er, floor, and I have to admit it wasn't that bad. I actually kinda liked it because it wasn't as expensively furnished as the rest of the house and it was exactly the way I'd left it last time.

Unpacking took rest of the afternoon. I was really tired, so as soon as I was done I fell on the bed. I decided to call my _other _best friend, Percy Jackson.

"_Hello?" He sounded groggy. I wonder if he had been sleeping._

_"Seaweed Brain, are you still drooling in your sleep?" I teased._

_"Huh? How did you know I was asleep?" He demanded._

_"I am your best friend, give me some credit. By the way, I'm back in New York."_

_"What? You didn't tell me! I'll come over right now! Are you at home?"_

_"Slow down, seaweed brain. I'll see you later. I'm really tired, right now, so I'm gonna sleep. Thought I'd surprise you."_

"_You did! Its the best news I've received all month!"_

_I yawned. "You'd better sleep, Wise girl. Meet me whenever you can. We've got a lot of catching up to do," He said._

_"Sure," I mumbled, "see you later, Seaweed Brain."_

_"See ya," he said._

And so, I cut the phone and slept.

That night, I had dinner with my mom. She acted like it was no big deal, as if we did this everyday, but it felt kinda strange to me, sitting at opposite ends of the huge dining table.

She informed me that school started next week and since today was thursday, I decided it was time enough to explore the nearby areas. She was also giving me a car (that, too, a BMW!) but since I couldn't drive, it would just sit in the garage.

"Oh, and," she added casually, "We have to go to a party tomorrow."

"Not _another _corporate party," I groaned. I hated them.

"Yes, it _is_ a business party of mine," she said icily.

"But why do _I _have to go?" I demanded.

"_Because,"_ she said, "you're my daughter and you need to learn how these things work. And this one is really important."

"But-"

She cut me off before I could even begin, "You _will _go. Because I said so."

"_Fine!_" I snapped in anger. "And go shopping for some decent clothes with Aphrodite," she added. Aphrodite, her sister, was a famous fashion designer.

"What's wrong with my clothes?" I protested. I was basically a jeans-and-t-shirt type of person, but it wasn't like I did not wear other clothes.

"There's nothing _wrong _specifically, but you need to be entirely presentable," she told me. Yeah, right. As if I wasn't already presentable enough.

"I- " I started to speak but, again, I didn't get the chance.

"Its just for the party. Do it for me, Annabeth. Please," she sighed, and left the table before I could begin to comprehend what she had said.

**A/N: So, what do you think? REVIEW and tell me. 5 reviews and I'll upload the next chapter.**


	2. A Wasted Day

**A/N: So, I didn't get 5 reviews. But I figure 3 are good enough so here is the next chapter. I know its a bit short but the next one is _really _long. So REVIEW if u wanna read!**

**Disclaimer: I'm not a dude and I'm not old. So if u didn't figure it out, I don't own PJO or HOO.**

The next day, I went shopping with Aunt Aphrodite. It was a nightmare. _And_ it took the whole day.

We went to every store and mall in the whole city. I must've tried about a thousand dresses and she still didn't feel any of them were good enough. I felt like a freaking bride searching for the perfect wedding dress. For the gods' sake, it was just a party!

She dragged me into yet another store. _That's it,_ I decided,_ it's the last store I'm visiting_. Looking around, I realised it was a boutique. An expensive one.

"All right, let's look around!"she said with excitement.

I glanced around, sighing inwardly. _Will we ever find anything she likes that's halfway decent? _I asked myself.

My eyes fell on a dress. _Oh-kay. _Perhaps, that one would do. I pointed it out to Aunt Aphrodite."How about that one?" I asked.

She looked at it. "Wow! It's so pretty! Here, try it on!" She exclaimed, handing it to me.

I put the dress on and stared at the mirror in shock. It was a soft, white silk that felt like velvet. It was off the shoulders, with a little, golden waistband and ended a few inches above my knees. It was intricately covered with floral designs, too, and still didn't look extravagant. It made me look elegant and beautiful. I could even call myself sexy, looking at the way it fit my body. _And _it complemented my golden-blond hair perfectly.

Aunt Aphrodite squealed with excitement. "Its so perfect! And it looks great on you! I can do so much with your hair for this dress!" She trailed on about whatever over-the-top stuff she was planning to do to my hair but I wasn't paying attention.

My gaze had just fallen on the price tag and my face fell. "Its too much," I muttered to myself.

"Oh, no, your hair will look great, dear," she said, misunderstanding the reason behind my crestfallen face.

"I'm not talking about the hair," I replied sullenly, "I meant that its out of my price range."

"Ah, don't worry about that, sweetie. It's all covered," she said brightly.

"But I can't let you pay for it," I told her firmly.

"Oh, no, dear, I'm not paying for it. Athena had given me a credit card for your expenses. She couldn't give it to you, didn't tell me why, and asked me to give it to you. I guess, I forgot to do so, but in any case, its _not _out of your price range so you _can _buy it." With that she went to the cashier and got it packed. She even got a pair of sparkly white high-heels to go with it. I didn't protest though, as I was to wrapped-up in my own thoughts.

We left the shop, her ranting on about how she was gonna dress me up and me deep in thought._ Had my mother actually cared enough about me or was it just because she cared about what image of hers I reflected in the party?_ I thought to myself, fingering the credit card which was now in my jeans pocket.

* * *

><p>Percy's POV<p>

"Percy! Are you ready yet? Your dad will be here any moment!" My mom's scream echoed through the house.

I sighed and called back, "Just a moment, Mom!"

I looked at myself in the mirror and decided that I couldn't handle anymore 'dressing up'. I wore a black dress shirt,_ with a tie_, for Hades' sake!I would have been happier with regular clothes, but, no. This was _the_ 'big party' as my mom called it, and I had to look my best. Of course, I'd have been happier if I'd been allowed to drive myself, but, then again, who listened to me?

Anyway, I was going to this party only for Annabeth. I wanted to surprise her, like she'd surprised me, so when she'd called today I'd told her that I would meet her tomorrow. I knew she would be there because Athena was throwing this party, and of course, she would drag Annabeth. Gods, I could just imagine the expression on her face!

I heard the doorbell ring and hurried downstairs before my mom could call out again. My dad, Poseidon, stood at the door, wearing his grumpy look. He, too, hated such parties, but they were inevitable. He owned a big business which dealed with cruise ships.

I bid a quick goodbye to my mom and stepdad, Paul. Mom, as usual, gave me a big hug, and I had to remind her that we were already quite late.

Finally, I hurried over to my dad, and his chauffeur drove us to the party venue.

**A/N: The next chapter is the party. REVIEW people, if u wanna read! 5 reviews and I'll upload the next chapter! And I mean it this time!**


	3. Surprise, Surprise!

**A/N: So here's the next chapter. I know its kinda boring but the next chapter has _lots_ of drama. And remember there are _NO _demigods. Just REVIEW and tell me how it is. Thanks to everyone who reviewed, alerted, favorited, or read my story!**

**Disclaimer: I'm tired of this but I DON'T OWN PJO OR THE CHARACTERS.**

Annabeth's POV

The party sucked. In fact, the whole day had pretty much sucked. Aunt Aphrodite had dressed me up, and though she had done a great job, it still made me angry because it had consumed my _entire_ day. I wore my hair up and a few curls were escaping the exquisite twist she'd done for me. Not that I'd asked. The dress, of course, looked perfect with the white heels.

The party was at some open-air venue, whose name I didn't bother to find out. I was moody and I had every right to be. My only hope was that Thalia would turn up soon. She'd promised me she would since Zeus was also invited. I didn't expect Percy to be there since his dad, Poseidon, and my mom, Athena, didn't get along.

Anyway, back to the party, while I tried to sulk in a corner my mother kept dragging me to see some guests whom I had no intention to see. All of them were her business partners and they all had really old kids. And when I say old, I mean married-with-a-couple-of-kids old. So, yeah, I think you can understand my enthusiasm for these parties.

Only, the next people I was dragged to meet _weren't _that old.

"This," my mom introduced, with a slightly irritated look, "as you know, is Poseidon, who might be my new business partner."

Wait. _Poseidon_? But my mom hated him. How could they work together? But if he was there then...

"And his son Percy Jackson," my mom continued.

Damn. _Percy Jackson?_ No way. I looked up to confirm and had to hide my expression. He _was_ the same Percy Jackson. Why didn't he _tell _me he was coming?

My mother was _still_ speaking. "I think you remember my daughter, Annabeth?"

Both, my mom and his dad, stared at me and Percy as if expecting us to talk to each other. I didn't know what to do.

I was saved from the awkwardness of it all, when my phone rang. It was Thalia. Nice timing. My mom looked disappointed but I excused myself and picked it up.

_"Where the hell are you?" I exclaimed, outraged. _

_"Hey, Annabeth, I don't think I'll be able to make it there," she replied._

_"Why not?" I demanded._

_"I'm grounded," she explained._

_"Thalia! Of all the days, it had to be today?" Why couldn't she have gotten herself grounded tomorrow or something?_

_"I'm sorry, Annabeth. I'll see you in school," she promised, trying to make up for her mistake._

_"Well, I suppose I'll have to wait for two days to kick your ass, then!"_

_"Hey, I didn't ground myself!"_

_"Whatever. It's still your fault. What did you do this time, anyway?"_

_"Hey, Mom's coming. I'll talk to you later?"_

_"Don't change the subject! And, I swear, if you hang up now, then I won't answer your call."_

_"Fine, I'll text you, then." _She hung up before I could respond. Great.

Deciding I needed something to get me through the awfully boring party, I made my way over to the drinks corner.

I ordered a coke and sat down to read a Greek book on architecture on my iPhone.

About half an hour later, when I was totally immersed in the book and on what was probably my fifth glass of coke I heard someone get in the chair near me. Startled, I looked up to find Percy Jackson staring at me.

* * *

><p>Percy's POV<p>

I couldn't deny that she was pretty. Beautiful, actually. And that dress. It made her look...wow. I was captivated. I just had to talk to her.

I searched for her but I could not find her anywhere in the party. And then, when I'd almost given up, thinking she must have left early, or something, my eyes spotted her at the drinks corner. There she was. Annabeth.

I made my way over to her and sat on the chair beside her. And then, I _really_ looked at her. The expression she had on her face, when reading whatever she was reading, made her looked like she was in some other world.

And then she looked up at me, startled. I quickly assembled my expression, and gave her a charming smile. "Hi," I said, "wassup?"

"What are _you _doing here?" She demanded.

"I was invited," I told her.

"Could've fooled me," she snapped in anger. "At least you could have told me you were gonna be here!"

"I wanted to surprise you!" I explained.

"Yeah, right, as if you've ever wanted to surprise anyone your whole life!" She pouted but I could tell she was really having fun with this thing.

"Well, I _can_ surprise my best friend once in a while!" She was smiling now. Yeah, she was my best friend. We'd met when we were twelve, at Camp Half-Blood, and had instantly become best friends even if our parents hated each other.

"Well, I suppose," she mumbled, keeping up the pretense.

"Oh, stop it," I said and hugged her tight. "Did I tell you how hot you look?" I asked her.

She glared at me for half a second, then smiled, blushing like crazy. "No, you did not. So how've you been? How're things with Rachel?"

"Oh, that..." I hesitated. "Um, we broke up."

* * *

><p>Annabeth's POV<p>

Broke up? That was crazy, I decided. Rachel was a nice girl, even if she was not a part of the Half-Bloods.

Half-Bloods was what our group called itself. Since our parents were the Olympians (or at least named after them), that made us half-bloods. Or so we liked to think. We all went to the same camp and were like family. We had, Thalia daughter of Zeus, Percy son of Poseidon, Nico son of Hades, Silena daughter of Aphrodite, Beckendorf son of Hephaestus, Luke and Travis and Connor sons of Hermes, Annabeth (me) daughter of Athena, Clarisse daughter of Ares, Katie daughter of Demeter, Grover and Juniper.

We had other friends at school, too, and Rachel was one of them. It had been Thalia who'd set Percy and Rachel up.

"Why did you break up with her?" I demanded. I could tell he did not want to talk about it but I had to know.

"Well," he muttered, "it was simple, really." "We didn't love each other and it was going nowhere so we broke up," he said.

"Really?" I asked suspiciously.

"Well, no!" He exclaimed. "She liked some other guy so she broke up with me!"

I gave him a hug. "I'm sorry, Seaweed Brain," I murmured.

"It's okay," he said. "It's been more than three months. I don't really care."

I didn't think so but to distract him I changed the subject. "How's your mom?" I asked. "And Paul?"

"They're great," he mumbled. "They've been really happy since marriage."

"And your dad?" I asked.

"I'm gonna move in with him for a while," he said, "Mom, dad and Paul think it's a great idea." "I'm not sure about it though," he admitted.

"Well, spending time with your dad's gotta be good for you, right? You'll get closer," I said, trying to boost his confidence.

"But what if it's too late?" He asked.

"It's never too late. Besides, think of it this way, we'll both be neighbors!" I tried to cheer him up.

He smiled at that. "Yeah, we will." Then he seemed to realize something. "Hey, speaking of, you're living with your mom, right?"

"Um, yeah," I nodded, unsure of what he meant.

"So, how are things with her?" He asked.

"What are you trying to say?" I asked, confused.

"Well," he hesitated, "are you guys getting any closer?" He knew it was a sensitive topic. He also knew that he was one of the few people who could ask me such a question without getting punched.

I sighed. I should have known it was coming. "Well," I told him bluntly, "She's not around much."

"Uh, yeah," he muttered, "but do you guys, like, do some mother-daughter stuff together?"

"We had dinner. Does that count?" I wondered.

"I don't think so. Most families have dinner together almost everyday," He said.

"Well," I snapped, "I don't care!"

"I think you do," he contradicted. It still surprised me that he could know so much about me. But that doesn't mean I had to like it. In any case, it hit too close to the truth so I felt it was better not to say anything.

"I felt that way for my dad, too, you know. He was never there but recently we've started hanging out," he continued. "Maybe you should try giving your mom a chance," he suggested.

"How can I, when she doesn't want to?" I challenged. I sighed with dejection remembering the dinner and credit card but after that she'd barely talked to me. "It's too late, anyway."

"Its never too late," he quoted back at me. I gave him a sour expression at that so he let it go.

"Anyways," he said, changing the topic, "Which school are you enrolled in?" He seemed curious.

"Same as before, Goode High." I saw a flash of surprise in his eyes which was quickly replaced by humor. "Where did you think I'd go?" I asked.

"I did not think much about it but I guess it makes sense," he admitted, looking at his watch.

"You gonna ditch me or what?" I asked in mock anger. "You've been looking at your watch a lot." And he had. Every few minutes.

"What, and leave you at this awesome party? No way!" He joked. "Actually, we gotta go meet the group for the party we have every year before school starts," he explained. "Don't tell me you forgot," he teased.

I _did _forget. But, of course, I wasn't about to let him know. "What do you mean 'we'?" I asked.

"Don't you wanna come meet the old crowd? It's been so long since we've all hung out together!"

"You told them I was coming?" I asked in disbelief.

"Well, duh!" he said. " _'ANNABETH CHASE IS BACK IN NEW YORK' _isn't gonna make the headlines! _Someone_ had to tell them!"

"Umm," I said,"I was gonna tell them later. But, whatever. So where are we meeting everyone?"

"Did you see that park outside? There is a bowling alley beside it. We're going there. So, are you coming or what?"

Hmm. Not too far. I could come back on my own if I wanted to. But then, I'd have to inform my mom. On the other hand it offered an early escape from the party and I seriously needed to get out.

_Come on, Annabeth, don't think so much. Accept. It's not a big deal. You're gonna meet old friends not a bunch of blood-thirsty vampires_.

He offered me his hand to help get off the high bar-stool.

"Well," I said, accepting it. "Why not?"

**A/N: REVIEW guys, the next chapter is what you wanna read, trust me! **


	4. Crazy Stuff Happens

_****_**A/N: So,the next chapter's here. Guys there is a review shortage here! Thanks to all those who favorited/alerted/reviewed/read my story. Sorry if I suck at conversations, I dunno what to make them talk about! But I think its pretty good, so READ and REVIEW REVIEW REVIEW! School's started so I'll do my best to update as frequently as possible but if I don't..just REVIEW!**

**Disclaimer: Do I _have_ to do this everytime? I don't own anything related to PJO.. just ma story..**

_**Third Person's POV**_

They walked to the bowling alley. Annabeth was in a mood to chat. She wanted to know everything that had happened in her absence. Now, Percy couldn't tell her _all _of it but he told her as much he could.

"You remember Thalia's twin brother, Jason?" Percy asked.

"He was at a boarding school, right?"

"Yeah, well, he returned a couple of months ago. Leo Valdez, his friend, son of Hephaestus, came with him. And Piper McLean, Silena's half-sister is there, too. She is so different from Silena that you would never guess they were sisters."

"You know a lot about her, huh?" she teased.

He just rolled his eyes. "Anyone would think as much. You'll see."

And, boy, did she. The first words that ran through her mind when she met Piper were _She can't be Silena's sister._ She sneaked a glance at Percy, who was smiling smugly but she didn't let that get to her. She went on with meeting everyone. They all said "hi" and hugged and generally it was a scene that any guy would want to be away from.

"Hey, Annabeth," Luke was saying, "I wanted to talk to you."

"Sure," she said. "What about?"

"Um," Luke hesitated, "actually, it's uh, well, I wanted to ask you, would you like to go for a movie this Sunday?"

"With whom?" Annabeth asked in confusion.

"With me, Annabeth," Luke said.

He was asking her out. She had no idea what to say. She liked him, sure, but she'd never really thought about it. He was a nice guy, though, so what was the harm? They might even have fun. Still she felt that it was somehow wrong. Then she remembered. Thalia liked Luke. She'd told her lots of times. She couldn't go out with her best friend's crush. It was _really _wrong. Inexplicably, she found herself glancing at Percy. He was talking to someone.

Annabeth was thinking of an excuse to say no when she spotted the person talking to Percy. She couldn't see her face but she could see it was a girl. Just then the girl turned and Annabeth saw -

"Thalia," Annabeth said. She couldn't believe what she saw. _Thalia_ was here. Here, at the group party. And she'd left her alone at her mom's party. Not only that, she'd _lied _about it. To Annabeth, her best friend.

Suddenly the whole room seemed to fall silent. Everyone had stopped talking. "Annabeth," Thalia said, "What are you doing here?"

"I could ask you the same question," Annabeth said quietly. She hadn't raised her voice but Thalia knew that it meant she was _really _angry. "I thought you were grounded?" Annabeth said. It came out as a question, just the way she'd intended.

"I can explain-" Thalia had nothing much to say. She'd not expected her to turn up. She'd thought that she could get away with the excuse. In fact, she wasn't going to come to _this _party, either, but she had, at Silena's insistence. More like threat. She _could_ explain it to her, but she wasn't sure Annabeth would listen long enough to understand. She couldn't say any of it to an angry Annabeth.

"You _lied _to me, Thalia, your best friend," Annabeth said, unaware that everyone was watching her. "If Percy hadn't brought me here I wouldn't even have found out!" She exclaimed.

Thalia glared at Percy, deciding that she would kill him later. Percy stepped back in nervousness; he hadn't known anything about this!

"Don't blame him!" Annabeth said, her voice shrill, "he didn't know. But at least you could have told me! I wouldn't have said anything to you even if you didn't want to come with me. You shouldn't have lied, Thalia," she said, the last sentence quiet.

"Annabeth-" Thalia said, unsure how to explain.

"You don't have to say anything, Thalia," she said, "I'm leaving."

She went outside the bowling alley and started walking towards the party.

"Um," Percy said to everyone before following her, "I better make sure she reaches home safely."

* * *

><p>Outside, he yelled, "Annabeth! Wait up!"<p>

She paused, turned to look at him, waited until he was within earshot, and said, "You shouldn't have come."

"You're in no condition to reach there alone," he said. "And you're going in the wrong direction," he added. She _was._

"Whatever," she said, turning to the right direction and starting to walk.

"Don't be upset, Annabeth," he said, "Thalia didn't mean to hurt you."

Deep down she had known it was true, but she didn't want to face it. "No," she muttered.

"Yes, Annnabeth," Percy said, "she wasn't going to come at all. I don't know why, but I guess she made last minute plans. Don't be so sad. You guys will be fine."

Of course, he'd known that Annabeth was not only feeling betrayal over what Thalia had done, but also guilt at her reaction and sadness at losing her best friend. Silent tears were running across her face. "No," she repeated. "I'm not sad," she said, trying to convince herself more than Percy.

"Yes, you are Annabeth," Percy said, "but its okay. You know she must have had her reasons. You know Thalia. She wouldn't do anything without a reason. Just talk to her tomorrow, when you're not angry anymore, and I know you guys will sort it out. I know you both."

"But," Annabeth was crying in earnest now, "We won't. Not this time. She must be so angry at me for reacting this way. I didn't even hear what she had to say! And now I'll be all alone." She was now blaming herself, sure that their friendship had been ruined.

"No!" Percy insisted. "You guys will be fine. You will. It'll be all right. And even if you won't, which is not about to happen, I will always be there for you. You know that." He, too, was babbling now, hardly making any sense. But, being with her did that to him. He had no idea what he was doing or saying half the time.

Without knowing how, they found themselves very close to each other, faces almost touching. Neither pulled back, though. Percy moved forward as if about to kiss her. Suddenly, there was a sharp noise from somewhere in the street and both of them pulled back, blushing, as if they'd just realized their proximity. It wasn't a kiss. It could have been, but it was not. However, it was enough to remind them of their first kiss.

* * *

><p><em>Flashback<em>

They were both fourteen and were having a sleepover at Percy's house. Annabeth would leave for San Francisco in a week and Percy was happy for her because she was so excited and would go on and on about the architecture there.

So you can imagine his surprise when he woke in the middle of the night, to the sound of weeping. Even more surprising, it was Annabeth who was crying. Annabeth, who was so strong, who hated the thought of crying, who saw it as a weakness, who was so happy. Percy has no idea _why_ she would cry.

"Annabeth?" He said in the darkness. He went over to her sleeping bag, next to his. They were using sleeping bags on Percy's room's floor, because Annabeth couldn't sleep in Percy's bed and he didn't want to leave her alone on the floor. So they both slept in sleeping bags on the floor.

"What happened, Annabeth?" He asked.

"Nothing," she murmured. She wouldn't tell him, but after a lot of persuasion, she finally gave in. "I'm leaving, Percy."

"I know," he said in confusion. What did she mean by that? He already knew she was leaving.

She sighed. "You know what this means, Percy? I won't _be _in New York. I won't go to school here. I won't see any of my friends. I won't see Thalia, I won't see _you. _We won't be together. We won't meet. We won't have sleepovers. We won't talk. We won't share secrets, we won't have fun anymore. We-"

"Shh, Annabeth," Percy said. "It's okay. We can still talk over the phone, or IM or something. We can still share secrets and have fun this way. We can visit each other. And then, think of all the good things you've said yourself. How much fun you'll have there. And you can always make new friends and we'll always be in touch. I'll always be there for you, Annabeth." He gave her a warm hug.

He'd comforted her, been strong for her sake, not letting her know that he'd felt the same way. That their lives wouldn't be the same anymore. He wanted her to feel better, though, to feel that it was okay to go. It didn't matter that his words were hollow. That he couldn't be there for her always, however hard he tried. They both knew that, but didn't mention it.

"Really?" Annabeth said.

"Yes," he replied. "Always."

And then, as if on impulse, he'd kissed her. It was not a real kiss, just a soft touching of their lips, but it made both of their hearts beat faster. Electric current flowed through them. They stayed that way for ages, feeling the warmth of each other's bodies. It could've been seconds, minutes, or hours, they didn't know. When they finally pulled apart, they seemed to realize what had happened, then blushed, and generally felt awkward.

They both returned to their sleeping bags after that, and though they never mentioned it, both of them were lying awake, thinking about THE kiss. It had been their first kiss, for both of them, even if it wasn't a real one.

_End of Flashback_

* * *

><p>They pulled back, blushing. There was an awful lot of that going on lately. Neither said anything, but Percy was wondering whether he should have kissed Annabeth anyway, while Annabeth was wondering what she would have done had he kissed her. Then she remembered Luke asking her out, being so sweet. It made her feel guilty for no apparent reason. She also remembered Thalia.<p>

"I should talk to Thalia, right?" she murmured to Percy.

He simply said, "Yes."

"I'll call her tomorrow morning," she decided, "when both of us are less angry." Of course, Thalia would be angry at her for not listening to explanations. She knew Thalia well enough to know that.

"Sure," Percy agreed, "for now, though, we should go to the party. Your mother has to take you home."

She sighed, and they set back towards the stupid party, holding hands, though neither realized it.

**A/N: The ALMOST kiss.. I just love it! haha.. sSo now, Luke ask Annabeth out, she hasn't replied yet, Thalia likes Luke..Percabeth almost kiss..Percabeth's first kiss(no way I'm messing with that!) can it get any more complicated..YES! How? Read and REVIEW! Or maybe I'll change my mind and make it PercyxThalia or LukexAnnabeth! *kidding* Btw, should I add other couples, like Jasper or Jayna? What about Thalico? That could work, too!**

** So, its pretty long, but just so you know, school's started so I won't update as frequently.. maybe once a week or something. Also check out my other story 'The Strange Quest'.**


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